Say It Or I Leave
by embracing-shadows
Summary: Greg wants to come out to the team, but Nick is scared. Will he find courage before Greg leaves him?


Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot!

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They all looked back and forth between Nick and Greg, standing on opposite sides of the room and definitely holding opposite moods. As they'd walked in to the building today, it was the first time anyone had seen anything but happy smiles between them. Nick had arrived first looking depressed beyond belief and scared shitless. Greg had arrived a half hour later and he'd been pissed off like no one had ever seen before. Wherever he went it was with dark scowls and stomping feet, hands thrust in pockets and head down. Nick had wandered around with the look of a boy who had lost his puppy.

It had all come to a head only moments ago, though no one had even said a thing. Greg had been leaning up against the counter, sipping his coffee and simmering in his bad mood. Nick had all but tip toed in and cast him a look that none of them understood. Greg raised his eyebrows expectantly and Nick's face had been incredulous. The jaw dropped, the eyes widened, and his hands clenched around the folder he'd been carrying. All anyone had been able to do was whip their heads back and forth and wander just what the hell was going on. Nick started trembling.

"What _now_?!" he exclaimed, his southern voice coming out at a higher note than usual, belying his fear of…something. Greg had tilted his head challengingly, pursed his lips, and started tapping his foot in impatience. It stayed like that for a moment as they stared at each other. Nick cowered in on himself.

"But I can't," he whimpered. For a few seconds nothing happened. Then Greg had turned and slammed his cup down on the counter. Still half full, his precious special brew had sloshed all over the surface and for once he didn't even care. When he turned back around, his face was murderous and everything on his body screaming deadly rage. But his eyes were swarmed over with the deepest pain, and he was fighting against it for all he was worth, pushing it away by drowning himself in anger. It was working fairly well.

"Fine. I get it." His words were sharp and blunt, coming out with a harsh chill in every syllable. He'd tried to storm out but Nick caught his arms in his hands, his folder falling forgotten to them ground. The older man's face was suddenly decorated with a desperate expression, and it baffled the others in the room.

"G, please, why are you doing this?" he asked, his voice frantic and worried. Greg turned back and sneered, still trying to drown his pain with anger.

"You know why!" he half-yelled. Without knowing how they knew, the rest of the team could just tell that this was a defining moment. All eyes were on the two men standing there by the door. Nick turned his head away from Greg for a few moments, looking around at their faces as if he were considering them. Indecision was tearing his face apart, and he bounced on the balls of his feet nervously. Terror was written all of him, and they were all dying to know what it was that was scaring him so.

Finally he made a small keening noise in the back of his throat. He seemed to have reached a decision, and yet it still upset him. He made a half strangled noise and swore under his breath before he swung Greg around to face him fully. He paused for a few long seconds to cower away from Greg's anger, then he buried his hands in the younger man's blonde hair and slammed their faces together in a searing kiss, pent up emotions flying haywire through the air, and suddenly they were holding on to each other for dear life.

Everyone gasped and stared, shocked in to immobility and not really understanding what just happened. Anger and sadness to hot passion was not the typical step any of them would take in a workplace disagreement. They waited for the two men to break apart. They were both breathing heavily, Nick's fear still evident and Greg's anger fading, the pain flooding in. They stared at each other, standing so still except for their heaving chests. Finally Greg closed his eyes tight and dropped his head forward. Nick's fingertips under his chin made him look up again, their brown eyes meeting right away.

"I can't lose you G. Not to them. Not to my own fears. I need you too much for that." Nick's voice was whispered low but carried to all their ears. Greg's eyes misted over and his mouth opened but he said nothing. Just choked on his own suppressed tears. Nick brought them close together again and dropped Greg's head to his shoulder, wrapping their arms around each other like it was the end of the world and this was all they needed to say goodbye to. The hug was even longer than the kiss, and when it was over, Greg was wearing the tiniest of smiles. Nick's smile, however, was as broad as his home state. He turned to the rest of them and it turned in to a cheeky grin.

"So who wants to know what the hell is going on?" he asked. When every one of them exclaimed loudly, Greg blushed endearingly and Nick laughed at them. "So it all started when Greg said he wanted to tell you about us…"


End file.
